


From Wingmen to Boyfriends

by sandpapersnowman



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 06:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4381826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandpapersnowman/pseuds/sandpapersnowman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/4200057">[follow-up to this]</a>
</p>
<p>Rhys had a crush on Vaughn, and now they're doing something about it. They're in college.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Wingmen to Boyfriends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coyotes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coyotes/gifts).



> set like immediately after coyotes' fic [Wingmen](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4200057)!
> 
> just fluffy stuff at the moment, but there's gonna be a second chapter that'll push the rating up, don't worry d( ´ ▽ ` )b
> 
> also the title might change bc it is so bad and coyotes is not awake for me to consult with auGH

After their night of confessions and kissing and generally trying to catch up on feelings they’ve been pushing down for a while, things go pretty smoothly, all things considered. They don’t really tell anyone, but nobody seems suspicious anyway. Once in a while, Rhys is paranoid that they were the only ones who didn’t think they were dating yet, but he knows that’s silly. Probably, anyway.

Things don’t exactly sink into a honeymoon phase, though, either. Of course it’s great, and he’s dating his _best friend_ , you can’t get much better than that, but they’ve skipped any sort of ‘keeping secrets’. Every time they’re both in their apartment after classes, there’s a much more noticeable tension; it was there before, but now they’re both aware of it being mutual, which makes it _more_ tense.

It’s been a couple days since they’ve become ‘official’, and the tension peaks for just a moment and collapses on itself, and they end up making out on their shitty two-seat couch. They’d kissed and stuff in the couple days between pouring their hearts out and now, but _now_ it feels like they’re both trying to make up for years of wanting to do this, and even though they’re both sloppy from eagerness and neither is too experienced anyway, it’s good just because it’s _each other_.

Then Vaughn started moving closer from his side, and closer, first to press up against him, then to press him back against the arm of the couch. Rhys’s hand is fidgeting between places on him, running through his hair one moment and grabbing the side of his face or the back of his neck the next, and Vaughn’s hands are running pretty much the same path whenever they aren’t working to keep his balance.

But then, he… He starts crawling up onto Rhys’s thighs, then on his lap. He’s not really putting any weight on him, just hovering to see if it’s okay, and while it _is_ okay, Rhys is… Not ready for anything that could come out of that move.

“Vaughn,” he huffs, and his hand leaves Vaughn’s hair to settle on his chest. He feels bad for tilting his head back to keep Vaughn from kissing him more, but he’s gotta do this.

“Yeah?”

He sounds just as out of breath as him, and it’s awesome; he feels like that’s because of him, and the little thrill that gives him is almost enough for him not to chicken out of this.

Almost.

“Vaughn, I, uh…” He swallows. He doesn’t want to come off like he’s rejecting him, or doesn’t want to go further, but at the same time, now that they’ve come to a standstill, he realizes maybe Vaughn wasn’t actually leading up to anything more than making out.

“Rhys?”

“Yeah.”

Vaughn frowns.

“You were about to say something.”

Rhys laughs a little, like he’s just forgetful, and not embarrassed, and asks, “Was I?”

“Yeah,” Vaughn says. He sounds a little annoyed, but he’s grinning, so he can’t be _that_ annoyed. 

He sits back on Rhys’s thighs to talk, though, which is a little nervewracking.

“You stopped the making out stuff to say something.” His grin shrinks a little, then turns into a frown, and Rhys’s heart sinks under it. “But now you don’t wanna say it?” he guesses.

“No,” he denies, badly.

“Rhys.”

“ _What_?”

“You _know_ what.”

Rhys sighs like a big dramatic baby, like _Vaughn_ started this.

“It’s not a big deal, let’s just go back to making out.”

Vaughn sighs, but it actually sounds a little sad.

“Rhys, what is it?” He puts on the pouting, and Rhys feels worse because he knows it’s probably not that exaggerated. “What’d I do?”

“ _No_ ,” Rhys blurts out, “it’s nothing you did, I promise.”

Vaughn hits his chest lightly.

“Then what _is it_?”

Rhys takes a deep breath. This is stupid, and Vaughn’s gonna understand anyway, so--

“I don’t wanna go further than making out right now,” he finally says, as quietly as possible, and no longer maintaining eye contact.

It’s awkwardly quiet in their apartment for what feels like forever, but is only as long as it takes Vaughn to realize he doesn’t really know what he’s talking about, and snort loudly.

Rhys’s head whips back up to glare at him and Vaughn lets another little laugh slip at that too before he gets out the “Sorry, sorry”.

“It’s not funny,” Rhys snaps, turning redder than he already was.

“No, it’s not,” Vaughn agrees, and keeps talking before Rhys can get more offended. “I just, uh.” _He_ looks away this time. “I wasn’t gonna try to go any further.”

Rhys groans.

“That’s why I said to forget about it, because I’m dumb and didn’t realize until I made you stop that you meant that in a… In a _not-boning_ way.”

Vaughn laughs again.

“Dude, don’t say ‘boning’,” he comments absentmindedly.

Rhys is still red and embarrassed, but smiles a little at that too.

“Fine, no more ‘boning’.”

Vaughn hits his chest again, too, still giggling.

“Cut it out.”

It only takes a couple more seconds for most of the awkwardness to clear, and by then, Vaughn has moved off his lap and back onto his seat on the couch, just leaning his side against Rhys and grinning to himself.

“Sorry,” Rhys finally whispers. “For assuming stuff. And killing the mood.”

Vaughn laughs fondly and Rhys feels it in his chest, echoing from one side of his ribs to the other.

“It’s fine, dude.”

Vaughn starts to settle more into Rhys’s side, but stops himself and sits up instead.

“Hey,” he says, to get Rhys to look at him. “It’s _fine_ ,” he says again. It carries a different meaning this time, comforting and laced with genuine okay-ness.

Rhys smiles shyly.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, and Vaughn settles into his side for good. Rhys kisses the top of his head before he relaxes too, and they fall asleep watching reruns of some crappy sitcom.


End file.
